Folding machine



April 28, 1942. L. M. KAHN 2,280,955

FOLDING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 22, 1959 LEO M. KAHN ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 28, 1942 FFICE FOLDING MACHINE LeoM. Kahn, New York, N. Y., assignor to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Norwood, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application September 22, 1939, Serial No. 296,059. Divided and this application November 27, 1940, Serial No. 367,410

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in machinesfor folding articles,.particularly flat fabric articles of sheet or web form.

The invention resides in the structure shown in the accompanying drawing and adapted to perform the functions described in the attached specification. The novel features will be summarized in the claims.

The drawing is a perspective View of a machine embodying my invention.

The device shown comprises a supporting frame of four uprights 300 Which carry a table 302 which is a section of a right circular cylinder. They also carry a shaft 304 positioned along the axis of the table. A pair of arms 306, fixed to shaft 304, extend beyond the table and carry between their. outer ends a rod 308 having a spring clasp 316 thereon. A pivoted pedal 3I2 at either end of the machine may be moved by the person :running the machine. It is connected by linkage 3| 4 both to the clasp 310 and arms 306.

The linkage is such that a motion of the pedal firstshuts the clasp and then moves the arms 306 away fromtheir normal central position. i

There is at least one slot 316 in the table and perpendicular to shaft 304. A bar 3! lies under the tableand parallel with its axis and is carried by arms 320 which are rotatable about shaft 304 tor 332 which, through linkage 335, 334, pushes connecting rods 336 and so rotates arms 338 about shaft 304. A bent rod 340 is rotatably held in theouter ends of arms 338 and normally held l as far as possible above table 302 by spring 342.

When arm 338 have reached vertical position (or slightly beyond-to take into account the time of action of these arms), cams 344 rotate rod 340 down so as to tightly press the mid-point of the article against the table.

At about the same time, but determined by V mechanism 330, solenoid 346 begins topull linkandconnected by linkage 322 to arms 306 in such fashion that they move in one direction from an upright position at the same speed that arms 306 move in the other direction. When arms 306 and 320 are uprighhth machine is in neutral and a general switch 324 may be held open by any convenient part such as linkage 322,

Anarticle to be folded is attached at its forward end to clasp 3E0 and the rod 308 is pushed away from the operator. That motion may be brought about (1) by moving pedal M2 or (2) automatically upon the closing of the clasp or (3) by hand. Simultaneously, bar 3l8 moves backward until it meets the rear end of thearticle. When the article is first laid over the slot 316 and the first motion of arms 306 permits closing of the main switch 324, alight 326 in bar 3l8 shines through slot 3H3, is reflected from the under surface of the article, and enters photoelectric cell 328 to get in readiness a clock-operated switch mechanism 330. When thetrailing edge of the article passes oil the cell 328,.the latter ceases to function and thereby causes mechanism 330 to begin to act. At this moment, since arms 306 and 320 move with the same speed, the mid-point of the article is at the starting point of those arms. Mechanism 330 startsmoage 348 whereby levers349 are pulled, drawing with them arms 350 by means of links 35! so as to rotate about shaft 304. The arms 350 carry at their ends astilf apron 352 above table 302. Arms 350 normally are at the far end of the machine and the apron extends back toward the top or center of the machine and from side to side. The apron pushes between clasp 3l0 and rod 340, pulling the front end of the article from the former and folding it back over the rod 340.

The extent of the motion of the apron is governed by extent of the motion of linkage 348 and that in turn is controlled by the solenoid-opera ated rod 347. The latter motion is limited by a cam 349a on shaft 304. l The farther rod 308 must be pushed before the mid-point of the article is at the mid-point of the table, 1. e., at the starting point of arms 306, the more of the artie ole there is to be folded back and. the farther the apron 352 mustpush. Cam 349a turns with arms 306 and is so shaped that the farther they go the farther rod 34Tmay go andso the farther apron 362 may go.

The article has now beenfolded in two. Lever 3l2 may be released. Arms 306 come back to neutral, shutting 01f the main switch and the other parts return to their neutral positions. The folding apron is equivalent in result to a folding blade for pushing the article double between two rolls.

The machine shown may also be adjusted so as to fold an article into three layers. Linkag 322 is connected to each of the arms 320 at a point is twice as far from the table mid-point as is the leading edge. Therefore, rod 340 overlays the article at one-third its length and apron 352, by

moving over it, causes the first fold there.

Next, the linkage 334 is caused, bytheycom necting rod 335 connecting it to motor 332, to reverse direction and draw rod3 lll out of the first fold. After it has returned to its starting point, it is carried forward again, first under the rear end of the article and then over the apron so as to fold the last third of the article over the edge of the apron which has stopped (by cam 3490.) as far beyond the table mid-point as the rod 308 went on the other, side. The pedal may then be released and the entire machine comes to rest.

It will be seen that rod 349 makes two complete sweeps back and forth for on sweep back and forth of the apron 352. While the rod 349 is forward the first time, it overlies the article so that the apron can make the first fold. Then the rod returns to its starting position at the end of the machine. The second sweep forward begins with the rod close to the table so as to be under andupon the table only during the startingportion of its second sweep forward. Its forward and backward motion is caused by connecting rod 335. Gearing 355 run by motor 332, gives cam 356 one revolution while the end of connecting rod 335 is carried twice about a circle. cam 358 has one end in contact with cam 356 and the other end lying along the edge of the table at the starting point of the path of the end of pivotable rod 349. With every second swing forward of the rod 3 59, cam 353 swings into the path of the end of the rod and depresses the rod, whereby the latter is brought into contact with the surface of the table so as to get under the trailing edge of the article to be folded over the apron 352. above the tabe surface by the spring 342.

A spring 369 is positioned from the frame of the machine to the lever 350 to return the same to its starting point after the operation is complete. At this .final stage, a lever 36l may now i make a third fold by rotating 180 degrees and pressing the already folded article between the folding rollers 362 onto the carry-off conveyor 363 to the stacking machine.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 296,059, filed SeptemberZZ, 1939.

What I claim is:

1. A folding machine comprising means for fixing a portion of an article in position, and means for operating said fixing means when the mid point of one side of the article is adjacent said fixing means, and means for folding the article about the portion thereof which is fixed in position.

2. A folding machine comprising means for fixing a portion of an article in position, means for operating said fixing means when the mid point of one side of the article is adjacent said fixing means, means for folding the article about the portion thereof which is fixed in position, and other means for folding the article again along an edge of the first-mentioned folding means, said means operating independently of the size of the article.

Pivoted Normally rod 349 is held 3. A folding machine comprising hand-controlled means for moving an article forward, means for fixing a line of fold in the article, the last mentioned means being operated by the firstmentioned means, and means for folding the article about said line of fold.

4. In a folding machine. a table, means for releasably holding the forward end of an article, said means being movable in a forward direction from a starting point, article measuring means movable in timed relation to said first named means in a rearward direction from said starting point, means controlled by said measuring means for clamping a portion of said article to said table, and means for folding part of said article over said clamping means.

5. Ina folding machine; the combination of claim 4 wherein said table is arcuate about an axis, and each of said means is controlled by an arm oscillatable about said axis.

6.'In' a folding machine, the combination of claim 4 including operator-operated means for securing the forward end of an article to said first named means and for concurrently moving saidfirst and second named means in opposite directions.

7. In a folding machine, a table for supporting an article to be folded, two measuring elements movable in opposite directions from a startin line on said table, means for folding said article adjacent said starting line, and actuating means for said folding means responsive to movement of one of said elements to the end of said article.

8. In a folding machine, a table, means for releasably holding the forward end of an article, said means being movable in'a forward direction from a starting point, a folding blade movable rearwardly to fold said article approximately at said starting point, and means coordinating the movement of said blade with the movement of said first named means.

9. In a folding machine, a table, an arm adapted to releasably hold the forward end of an article, said arm being movable in a forward direction from a starting point, a second arm movable in a rearward direction in timed relation to said first named arm, clamping means adapted to clamp said article at said starting point, means for actuating said, clamping means when said second arm reaches the rear end of an article, and a folding blade movable rearwardly and adapted to fold the forward end of the article rearwardly over said clamping means.

10. In a folding machine, a table for supporting an article to be folded, an arm adapted to releasably hold the forward end of an article lying on said table,-said arm being movable in a forward direction from a starting point, means for fixing a line of fold approximately at said starting point when the forward end of said article has moved a predetermined distance, a first folding means for holding the forward end of said article rearwardly about said line of fold, and a second folding means for folding the rearward end of said article forwardly about said first folding means.

11. In a folding machine, a table for supporting an article to be folded, an arm adapted to releasably hold the forward end of an article lying on said table, said arm being movable in a forward direction from a starting point, a clamping arm for holding a portion of said article on the table approximately at said starting point when the forward end of said article has moved a predetermined distance, folding means for folding the forward end of said article rearwardly about said clamping arm, and means for moving said clamping arm rearwardly and beneath said article and for then moving said arm forwardly to fold the rearward end of said article forwardly.

12. In a folding machine, a table for supporting an article to be folded, an arm adapted to releasably hold the forward end of an article lying on said table, said arm being movable in a forward direction from a starting point, means for fixing a line of fold for said article lying on said table, means for folding said article about said line of fold, and means moving through said table for cross-folding said article at right angles to said line of fold.

LEO M. KAHN. 

